


Strangers

by LizardOnIce27



Category: Fall Out Boy
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-12-27
Updated: 2014-12-27
Packaged: 2018-03-03 20:02:26
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,355
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2885756
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LizardOnIce27/pseuds/LizardOnIce27
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>On the way home from work, Patrick is being followed.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Strangers

Walking late at night in the suburbs near Chicago is usually pretty safe, but when you’re walking home from the actual city, it’s a little different. My car won’t start, and I don’t want to trouble my mom by waking her up when she has to work in the morning, so I’m speed-walking home, the only light coming from the occasional passing car, and lamppost. I turn down a particularly dark street that has only one lamppost, at the other end of the street, and there are no passing cars. I can feel my heart beating in my chest as I quickly make my way down the street. The hairs on the back of my neck stand on end, and a shiver goes down my spine. I’m being followed. No, I’m not being followed, I’m just getting myself worked up. I’m fine, no one is following me. I stop walking for a second to take a deep, calming breath, when I hear leaves crunch behind me. Fuck. Don’t look back. Run. My legs feel like lead as the footsteps near. RUN. I feel like I’m stuck in quicksand. I can’t move. I can hear their breathing as they get less than a yard away. 

“Isn’t it passed your bedtime, kid?” a deep, rough voice asks.

I manage to move my trembling legs enough to turn and see the man barely a foot away. He’s tall, really tall, and he’s very dirty. His clothes are tattered and his face is sunken in. His dark hair is matted to his head in some places, and sticking up in others. His beard is long and untamed, with specks of grey woven in. His eyes are dark and determined.

“Don’t you know better’n to walk around here this late?” Less than a foot separates us.

I take a few, clumsy, steps back, “S-Sir I-I…”

He holds up his hands, “I’m not lookin’ for a fight, kid.”

“Wh-What do you want then?” I continue taking steps away, only to have him step forward.

“Give me your money, and I’ll let you walk away.”

My heart sinks. I’m broke. If I had any money, I’d have called a cab. All I brought with me today was enough for lunch and something to drink.

“S-Sir I don’t have-” my voice cuts off in a squeak as he grabs my arms.

“Don’t lie t’me, kid. You got nice clean clothes, I saw you leave your job. I know you have money.” his grip tightens.

“N-No, I’ll empty my pockets and show you, th-there’s nothing!” I whimper as his grip tightens more.

He lets go, shoving me hard enough to make me fall on my back. I groan in pain from the fall, then yelp as he kicks my stomach.

“Empty them pockets then.” his voice is eerily calm as he backs off a bit.

I sit up shakily and reach into my pockets, as a porch light comes on. A man with dark hair walks onto the porch.

“I called the cops, so you’d better scram!” he walks down the steps, holding a wooden baseball bat.

The homeless man glares at the other, before grabbing the collar of my shirt, and punching me right on the nose, before running off. I whimper and hold my nose as blood trickles between my fingers. The other man sets down the baseball bat before coming closer, gently pulling me up by my arms.

“You alright, kid?”

“Gr-Great, just bleeding a fountain out of my nose.”

He snorts, “Well he didn’t break your sense of humor, your nose though…”

I shake my head, “Not broken.”

He nods, “Here, come inside and get cleaned up.”

I eye him suspiciously. Sure he just saved me, but why? He could be just as bad as the man he scared off.

He sighs, “I’m not gonna hurt you, kid. If I were, don’t you think I’d have done it by now?”

I bite my lip and nod, before following him into his house, dripping blood on the hardwood floor on the way to the couch.

“Sit, I’ll get a rag for your nose.”

I nod and sit down as he walks down the hall. I glance around the living room. The walls are a deep blue, meeting the hardwood floor. There’s an old TV on a shelf filled with VHS tapes, DVDs, and CDs.The rest of the room is pretty bare. No family photos, or even a clock on the wall. He walks back in, holding out a towel.

“Thank you.” I take it and quickly clean the blood off my hands before putting it to my nose.

“I’ve gotta ask, why were you walking through Chicago at night?” he raises an eyebrow.

“Car broke down.” my reply is slightly muffled through the towel.

He nods, “Couldn’t you have called someone?”

“I decided it’d be best not to inconvenience my mom.” I sigh, “Bad idea.”

He snorts, “You think? I’m Pete, by the way.”

I nod, wiping the dried blood off my face once my nose has stopped bleeding, “Patrick. Thanks for scaring that guy off… I wasn’t like, trying to protect my money or anything, I really don’t have any with me.”

Pete shakes his head, “It’s no problem. I know for a fact, that guy wasn’t trying to get money for food.”

I squint and tilt my head slightly in confusion.

“He’s tried to get me to sell him my medication before, man.”

I nod and stand up, “Well, thanks again.”

He raises an eyebrow, “Where are you going?”

“Um, home?” I shrug.

He nods, “Right. Because logically, after getting mugged, you just walk back outside to get your ass kicked again.”

“How else am I going to get home, and get blood out of this,” I pull at my work shirt, “Before tomorrow?”

“Well I could drive you, or call you a cab if you don’t feel comfortable with that.” he shrugs.

I duck my head down, “No it’s um, like I said I don’t have any money with me so I, I couldn’t pay for a cab, or give you gas money.”

“Do you hear me asking for money?”

“Well, no but-”

“Then, would you prefer me to drive you, or a cab?”

“I, I guess I trust you enough to drive me.” I mumble.

He nods, “Good, let’s go.” he grabs his keys off the table and opens the door. I still haven’t moved,“You coming or what, kid?”

I blush and stand up quickly, following him outside, “I’m not a kid.”

He snorts and walks down the steps ahead of me.

“I’m not!” I follow him and stand beside the passenger door of his car, “I’m nineteen.” 

He unlocks the door and smirks, “Legally being an adult, and actually being an adult are two different things.”

I get in and buckle up, “I have a job and I pay bills.”

“And, you thought it was a good idea to walk home at night. I’m sorry, but that’s such a typical teenage boneheaded move, kid.”

“I didn’t have a choice.” I cross my arms.

He grins, “No, you admitted that you could have called your mom. You were just afraid of waking up mommy. And that’s why you aren’t an adult.”

I glare at him, “I was trying to be respectful of the fact that she has to work early in the morning!”

He chuckles as he drives down the road, “Where was that anger when you were getting your ass kicked?”

“Shut up and turn left at the light up here.” I snap.

The rest of the ride is quiet, aside from the radio with volume so low you can barely make out the words. When he stops outside my house, I quickly unbuckle my seat belt.

“Thanks for the ride, Pete.” I get out, slamming the door.

He rolls down the window, “Hey! No more walking home, if I catch you walking at night again, I’ll kick your ass myself!”

I roll my eyes, “Bye Pete.” and unlock the door.

“Bye kid!” he grins and waits until I step inside before driving off.


End file.
